Police charge 36 people with dealing heroin, other crimes

A police initiative to fight heroin’s spread in the metro-east has netted 36 suspects who will face a variety of charges in the coming months.

Undercover operatives purchased heroin from local dealers in a coordinated “heroin initiative” among three counties and multiple law enforcement agencies, leading to charges against 36 people ranging from unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon to delivery of a controlled substance. Some of the defendants will face enhanced charges for allegedly dealing drugs within 1,000 of a protected space such as a church or a school.

Very few are cases of simple possession, according to Illinois State Police narcotics commander Lt. Derek Wise; the focus was on the distributors, the people selling the low-cost heroin tablets.

“We were not looking for the guy with a single button of heroin,” Wise said.

And for the most part, Wise said, the dealers were operating on their own. “In some instances we were able to develop a nexus, but for the most part, it was individuals who had their own network,” he said.

The buys themselves were definitely hazardous duty, Wise said. “There are very real risks associated with undercover purchasing of drugs, because the dealers are so unpredictable and the areas are unstable,” he said. 　

On Monday, police conducted a warrant round-up and arrested 14 of the 36 suspects. More than 75 grams of heroin were seized, as well as 11 firearms. There were 29 charges of distribution of heroin, three of them enhanced, and four in federal court; three charges of maintaining a drug premise; and seven firearm-related charges. Charges are likely against at least three more people, Wise said.

The lesson that police want to hammer home is about the danger of heroin overdose deaths, Wise said. Purity levels in heroin confiscated in the metro-east run 40 to 80 percent pure, he said, and use of very high-purity heroin can cause death on the first try.

There were 47 overdose deaths in St. Clair County in 2014, and 94 deaths in Madison County.

“Heroin is a very dangerous drug. It is a poison,” Wise said. “Never use it. Don’t get curious enough to try it. You don’t have to be an addict to die from it.”

Madison County has been operating a heroin task force to share information and ideas among experts in social service, treatment, medicine, education and other professions to fight the heroin epidemic for about a year and a half, after three people suffered fatal heroin overdoses in one night.

“Using this stuff one time is too much,” Wise said. “Never try it.”

The charges were presented in Madison, St. Clair and Monroe counties as well as federal court. The investigation was a joint effort by Metropolitan Enforcement Group of Southwestern Illinois, the St. Clair County Drug Tactical Unit, Madison County State’s Attorney Tom Gibbons, St. Clair County State’s Attorney Brendan Kelly, Monroe County State’s Attorney Chris Stites, U.S. Attorney Stephen Wigginton, the sheriff’s departments of all three counties and the Illinois State Police.

Charged were:

▪  Kenneth B. Bownes, 30, of Cahokia. Charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and multiple counts of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance. Apprehended.

▪  Greg Jones, 41, of Alorton. Charged with possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance. Apprehended.

▪  Alexandra Hinson, 22, of Collinsville. Charged with delivery of a controlled substance within 1,000 feet of a nursing home. Apprehended.

▪  Jason C. Wolf, 35, address unknown. Charged with multiple counts of delivery of a controlled substance within 1,000 feet of a place of worship. Apprehended.

▪  Lisa M. Wolf, 35, address unknown. Charged with delivery of a controlled substance within 1,000 feet of a place of worship. Apprehended.

▪  Clinton E. Owens, 43, of Washington Park. Charged with controlled substance trafficking and armed violence. Not in custody.

▪  Jovan Dolly, 36, of East St. Louis. Charged with multiple counts of delivery of a controlled substance and two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm, federal indictment. Not in custody.

▪  Brandon A. Williams, 26, of East St. Louis. Charged with multiple charges of unlawful delivery of a controlled substance. Not in custody.

▪  Caleb T. Foster, 22, of Collinsville. Charged with three counts of delivery of a controlled substance within 1,000 feet of a place of worship or nursing home. Apprehended.

▪  Benjamin E. Pigg, 40, of Mount Vernon. Charged with possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance. Not in custody.

▪  Ryan S. Pigg, 33, of Mount Vernon. Charged with possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance. Not in custody.

▪  Arthur J. Carter, 38, of East St. Louis. Charged with delivery of a controlled substance within 1,000 feet of a worship center. Not in custody.

▪  Roger K. Shockley, 35, of Belleville. Charged with possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance. Not in custody.

▪  Jesus Mendoza, 41, of Caseyville. Charged with delivery of a controlled substance within 1,000 feet of a worship center. Apprehended.

▪  Kristen G. Miller, 22, of Caseyville. Charged with delivery of a controlled substance within 1,000 feet of a worship center. Apprehended.

▪  Rosemary E. Miller, 40, of Granite City. Charged with delivery of a controlled substance within 1,000 feet of a worship center. Not in custody.

▪  Ralph T. Walker, 39, of Wood River. Charged with possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance and maintaining a drug premise. Not in custody.

▪  Cassandra L. Medling, 31, of Wood River. Charged with possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance and maintaining a drug premise. Not in custody.

▪  Joseph M. Metzger, 42, of Belleville. Charged with possession of a controlled substance. Apprehended.

▪  Lauren C. Schroeder, 27, of Belleville. Charged with possession of a controlled substance. Apprehended.

▪  Devion D. Henderson, 27, of Alorton. Charged with possession of a controlled substance. Not in custody.

▪  Colt J. Howard, 23, of Collinsville. Charged with possession of a controlled substance. Not in custody.

▪  David C. Bodkin, 26, of Granite City. Charged with possession of a controlled substance. Apprehended.

▪  Erick O’Guin, 35, of Granite City. Charged with possession of a controlled substance. Not in custody.

▪  Leandre L. Blankenship, 27, of St. Louis. Charged with possession of a controlled substance. Not in custody.

▪  William H. Rozier, 59, of East St. Louis. Charged with illegal use of a building. Apprehended.

▪  Nathan R. Funkhouser, 34, O’Fallon. Charged with multiple charges of possession of a controlled substance. Apprehended.

▪  Mitchell S. Wyatt, 42, of Edwardsville. Charged with possession of a controlled substance. Apprehended.

▪  Kimberly A. Shaw, 36, of East Carondolet. Charged with possession of a controlled substance. Apprehended.

▪  Ginger E. Hubbard, 38, of Pontoon Beach. Charged with possession of a controlled substance. Apprehended.

▪  James P. Smith, 41, of Edwardsville. Charged with obstruction of justice - destroying evidence. Apprehended.

▪  Matthew Raby, 23, of Belleville. Charged with possession of a controlled substance. Not in custody.

▪  April D. Pickard, 41, of Troy. Charged with possession of a controlled substance. Not in custody.

▪  Steven Tiller, 48, of Belleville. Charged with delivery of a “look-a-like” substance. Not in custody.

▪  Dylan J. Hegeman, 20, of Waterloo. Charged with possession of a controlled substance. Not in custody.

Three additional subjects were arrested on unrelated outstanding warrants during the arrest sweep, and another 5 grams of heroin were recovered during the arrests, according to police. If anyone has information about the ones not in custody, Wise asks that they call the U.S. Marshals at 482-9236, and do not try to apprehend them or approach them.

This story was originally published August 11, 2015 at 10:43 AM with the headline "Police charge 36 people with dealing heroin, other crimes."